


you promised

by vengefulvillain (sweetsorrowss)



Category: Villains Series - V. E. Schwab
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Found Family, M/M, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:00:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24070207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetsorrowss/pseuds/vengefulvillain
Summary: Sydney Clarke could handle a lot of things. She could handle nearly dying, she could handle losing both her parents and her sister. She could handle being shot, being chased down by a crazy guy with a gun who claimed she was an abomination.She couldn't handle it when Victor left.
Relationships: Mitchell "Mitch" Turner/Victor Vale
Comments: 14
Kudos: 42





	you promised

She remembered waiting, as the days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to months. She remembered shedding secret tears after Mitch had gone to bed, pleading with the universe, with a God she didn't even believe in, to bring him _back._

Sydney Clarke could handle a lot of things. She could handle nearly dying, she could handle losing both her parents and her sister. She could handle being shot, being chased down by a crazy guy with a gun who claimed she was an abomination.

She couldn't handle it when Victor left.

When he finally came back, months later and unwilling to share where he'd been, what he'd been doing, she felt relief. Relief and anger, because despite her better judgement she loved him like a father and he just up and _left_. She didn't voice her frustrations then, didn't want to drive him away again.

It was reassuring when, one day, Mitch showed her a photo of an apartment complex and promptly told her to pack her bags. No more hotels, no more moving around almost constantly.

And Victor was there.

He was part of their family again.

Sydney couldn't help the twinge in her gut each time Victor left, an unshakable anxiety inside of her, convincing her that he was leaving again. He was leaving because he finally realized he didn't need this, he didn't need such a dysfunctional little family and he'd much rather be alone.

He always came back. Sydney always swallowed her fear down with a soft smile and let out a sigh of relief, allowing her tense shoulders to relax.

Tonight, she was home alone. 

Not necessarily alone, of course. She had Dol, who took up half the sofa she was curled up on, Mitch's laptop on her lap as she watched the first YouTube video that had come up in her recommended. Not because they were at all entertaining, but because she couldn't shake the feeling that both Mitch and Victor were leaving.

It was an annoying feeling, to be constantly on edge each time they left. She wasn't proud of feeling so small every time she stayed home alone, watching the clock tick by and waiting for the door to open again.

It had been three hours.

She'd texted Mitch, and he hadn't responded. That was an hour ago.

She begged her mind to relax, to just focus on the computer screen in front of her. Dol's gentle snores grew louder as the laptop suddenly shut off, the battery completely drained. She didn't know where Mitch kept the charger.

She didn't know where Mitch even _was._

Sydney had survived nearly drowning, she'd looked a man in the eyes while he held a gun to her forehead, she'd seen more dead bodies than anyone had any business seeing.

But this, this was too much.

Before she could stop it, try to force the tears at bay and tell herself to _toughen up_ , a choked sob escaped through her throat. Where were they? Why weren't they answering her texts?

Had they abandoned her, just like her parents, like her sister? 

Her hands started shaking as she turned on her phone and went to Victor's contact. She held the phone to her ear after she pressed the call button, helpless tears falling from her eyes as the call went straight to voicemail.

They hadn't left her. Victor had _promised_ he was staying for good. He wasn't going anywhere.

What if something had happened to them?

They'd moved cities, far enough from Merit that nobody really knew who they were. Victor and Mitch didn't have to worry about police stopping them in the streets so much anymore, they didn't have to be apprehensive of their door bursting open as armed officers swarmed their home. They'd found their new normal. It was laughably domestic, especially the secret little affections Victor and Mitch shared, so few of which Sydney had actually witnessed.

What if that was all to be stripped away from her, just like her childhood had been?

She tried Mitch's phone. She was relieved when it didn't immediately go straight to voicemail, although her heart sank when he didn't answer.

Surely she was overthinking things. Whatever they were doing, wherever they were, they were fine. They were probably on their way back now.

Another twenty minutes had gone by.

Sydney was a mess. She didn't like to cry, didn't like to be seen as _weak._ Serena had always been so tough, so suave, and despite everything, Sydney wished she was more like her big sister. Her face was tear-streaked and her breathing was near erratic, a pace she could no longer control. She'd called both Victor and Mitch three more times and neither of them had answered. The apartment suddenly felt so big, and she felt so small, and she was terrified because she was alone and she didn't know if they were coming back-

"We're home!"

Mitch's voice rang through the apartment as the front door creaked open from the entryway. Her eyes widened as relief flooded her body, prompting her to slack her shoulders and hang her head. She wiped away at her tears, but apparently she wasn't fast enough. Victor entered the room, noticed her tears, and frowned.

"Sydney?"

"Where were you guys?" Sydney asked. She'd tried to make her voice steady, but it came out sounding small, afraid, like that 13 year old little girl she'd once been who realized her own sister had turned against her.

"We..." Victor furrowed his brows as he trailed off, studying Sydney. Sydney felt her anger inflate.

"Where _were_ you, Victor? I... neither of you were answering your phones, and-"

"My phone died," Victor said, "Mitch left his here."

"Why?"

"He forgot it."

It was as simple as Mitch forgetting his phone, that sent Sydney into a panicked spiral. She sniffled, lowering her gaze as Victor joined her on the couch, in between Sydney and Dol. "What were you guys doing?" Sydney whispered.

"We wanted to familiarize ourselves with the area, in case we ever need to make another escape," Victor said, "and Mitch wanted to go to the library. And," Victor reached inside his coat, the same coat he'd had for over five years, and pulled out a small brown paper bag. He handed it to Sydney.

Sydney opened it with shaky hands and peered inside. Victor had brought her _cookies._

Three little frosted sugar cookies from a bakery. The mental image of Victor and Mitch inside a cute little bakery brought a small smile to her face, and it was almost enough to make her forget about that helpless feeling of abandonment. 

"Thank you," she said.

"Are you alright, Syd?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

"Liar." Victor raised an eyebrow.

Sydney looked up at him, and suddenly she broke again. Victor's eyes widened in surprise and probably a little discomfort as she started to sob, covering her face with her hands.

"I-I thought you'd _left_ again-"

"Sydney..."

"Y-You _promised_ you'd stay, that you aren't going anywhere, b-but you guys were gone for so l-long and I-I thought..."

"Sydney," Victor said again, more firmly this time, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Then charge your fucking _phone_ before you leave," Sydney choked out, her eyes bloodshot as they met Victor's. Victor's lips quirked into a small smile.

"When did you get so vulgar, Syd?"

"Probably a-around the same time I met you, assface."

Somehow, hearing the slight chuckle he released only made her angrier. "W-why didn't you tell me where you were going?"

"Because we weren't planning on _going_ anywhere, just a little walk. Everything else that occurred was merely consequential."

"I-I hate you."

"You and I both know that's not true, Sydney."

"Y-You could've told me..."

"I'm sorry, kid."

"You only ever think about yourself, Victor, that's why you left us, w-why you brought me along in the _first_ place because I was _useful-"_

"Sydney," Victor cut her off, "stop."

"A-and I don't want you to end up l-like my parents, or Serena, w-who just up and _left_ because they realized they didn't care about me anymore-" 

"Syd..." Victor frowned as she broke down into a fresh wave of tears, wrapping her arms around herself. She was trembling, and she felt like she was going to be sick she was so upset, so scared and relieved and angry all at once. 

"Look at me, Syd." When Sydney finally complied, Victor spoke again. "I promised you guys I wouldn't leave again, didn't I?"

"Y-yeah, but..."

"I'm not one for breaking promises."

"But..."

"I don't keep you around just because you're useful, I keep you around because..." Victor trailed off. Sydney sniffled.

"Because you love me and I'm the light of your very dark, fucked up life?"

Victor laughed despite himself. "Sure, Syd."

"Say it."

"Sydney-"

"S-say it and I'll stop crying."

"I love you," Victor said, and the confession alone made Sydney want to cry all over again because he _meant_ it, he wasn't just saying it to get her to stop. "And... you've definitely made these last five years a lot better."

"I'm also the singular reason you're alive r-right now," Sydney pointed out.

Victor nodded. "That, too."

"I-I'm sorry, I-"

"It's okay," Victor said. She watched him pause, could practically _see_ the gears turning in his brain as he slowly opened up his arms, inviting her in for a hug. She didn't hesitate to comply as she let her head rest on his chest, his hand methodologically stroking her hair.

"P-promise me you won't do that again," she whispered.

"I promise," Victor said, "I'm sorry, Syd."

Crying was an exhausting feat, especially if one had done as much of it as Sydney had in the last hour. She was quick to fall asleep, curled against Victor's chest, her small frame, enveloped in his arms. Victor pondered her, the strange girl he'd found on the side of the road with a bullet wound in her arm and a childhood torn away from her. 

He really did love her.

Maybe the Victor from a few years ago would've found that alarming, because love was a weakness. It meant she was something people could use against him.

But right now, that didn't matter. All that mattered was that she felt safe, that she'd mercifully stopped crying. Victor owed her a lot. He'd be in a grave six feet under at that very moment if it hadn't been for her, and her genius and the power she wielded.

It was only fair that she finally broke, because Victor knew that she'd been through far too much, seen far too many things, than any 18 year old deserved.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, he lifted her off the couch and carried her into the bedroom he shared with Mitch. Her head fell against his shoulder and he honestly couldn't tell if she was asleep or simply faking it as he laid her down on the bed, then climbed in next to her. 

"Awww," came a voice from the doorway, "cute."

Victor shot Mitch a glare as Mitch laughed. Sydney mumbled something in her sleep, her head instinctively pillowing on Victor's chest again. Victor smiled a rare smile, one that was so unguarded and natural, as Mitch changed into pajamas and climbed into the other side of the bed.

"Is she okay?" Mitch asked.

"Are any of us?" Victor responded.

"That's fair."

Victor smiled again as Mitch pecked his lips, then reached for the lamp by the bedside to turn it off.

"Goodnight, Vic."

"Night," Victor whispered.

Emotions had become foreign to Victor, but something similar to guilt clawed away at his stomach as he watched Sydney sleep, her eyes still red and puffy. He'd dragged her into this life, in this feud he'd had with Eli. He wasn't the sole reason she'd lost her childhood, her innocence, but he was part of it. He hadn't been lying when he said he loved her. 

He loved her so much it hurt.

He tried not to be selfish, he tried to take into account Sydney and Mitch because they were a permanent part of his life now, and he was more than okay with that. Victor was willing to spend the rest of his life making sure Sydney felt safe, making sure she knew she was cared for, and not simply disposable. 

He wanted her to know that no matter what happened, he'd never let anybody hurt her again, least of all himself.

As Victor slipped into a heavy, dreamless sleep, he couldn't help but lightly kiss Sydney's forehead. Right now, nothing else mattered besides the young girl curled up in his arms, his partner by his side, and an over sized dog asleep in the living room.

It was the most unlikely of life courses for Victor, who'd thought he'd either end up dead or behind bars for the rest of his life, but it was perfect.

It was more than he'd ever deserved.

**Author's Note:**

> [ stalk me on twitter ](https://twitter.com/zichensmoon)


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